Life Goes On
by Shinigami Lupin
Summary: After QuiGon Jinn's funeral a Jedi Knight reflects on her past with him...


Life Goes On  
By AngelGirl28 (AlexSloan@paxemail.com)  
  
Summary: A Jedi Knight reflects on her life with Qui-Gon after his funeral…  
  
Disclaimer: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Xanatos, and who ever I missed if anyone, don't belong to me. Gaylenn and Kasi and the other minor characters are mine, and I'm proud of it. I'm not making any money on these stories, because they are purely for everyone's enjoyment. This is my first published fan fiction so, PLEASE review my story. If you like it I will continue it otherwise I won't. Thanks.  
  
Feedback: Feedback is very welcome! Use my e-mail link or the reviewing option to tell me what you think. I'd love to hear it. Most of all... ENJOY! ~.~;;  
  
  
  
Life Goes On  
By AngelGirl28  
  
  
A tall, lean woman stood by the ashes of the funeral pyre of a man she adored. Qui-Gon Jinn had been like the father she never had. Now he was dead. Killed in battle by the Sith Lord, Darth Maul, whom was later killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's Padawan. A single tear escaped from her watery eyes and rolled down he cheek and landed amongst the ashes she held. If she had only been there, she kept telling herself. She knew, deep down, that Qui-Gon would have died anyway. She turned her head and looked at Obi-Wan and his new apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin would make a powerful Jedi as long as he avoided the temptations of the Dark side. She looked back at the ashes in her hand. She removed the pouch from her belt next to her lightsaber and placed the ashes inside, and placed it back on her belt. She turned and walked towards Obi-Wan and Anakin, quietly her boots clicked on the ground.  
  
Obi-Wan must not have sensed her for he visibly jumped when she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't look so surprised, Jedi Knight."  
  
"Yes, you're probably right. Anakin meet Jedi Knight Gaylenn Lyss. Gayl meet Anakin Skywalker, my Padawan learner."  
  
Gaylenn looked down at the 9-year-old boy and extended her hand. The young boy accepted. The boy seemed amazed at her. Eyes shining with curiosity. "You're a Jedi also?" The question sounded more like it was amazement that she was a Jedi at all.  
  
"Yes. And good friends with your master. I guess my attire isn't exactly standard Jedi issue." She emphasized her point by extending her arms outwards and looking down at her skintight black tunic, loose black pants with gold cords wrapping around her legs, black boots, and her dark brown Jedi robe.  
  
"I'll have to agree with you there, Gayl. That's not standard. Even for you." Obi-Wan snickered at her.  
  
"Who asked you? I certainly didn't. By the way have you seen Kasi? I've seemed to have missed him."  
  
"You mean he wandered away again. No I haven't seen him. He's 14. He capable of taking care of himself."  
  
"I don't take losing my Padawan, lightly. Like you, he is impatient."  
  
"I am not."  
  
"Face it, Obi-Wan. You were impatient. Qui-Gon spent most of his time trying to restrain it."  
  
"I don't need to hear this from you. Oh, there's Kasi. KASI, OVER HERE!" Obi-Wan called to Gaylenn's Padawan, Kasi D'Ectisa. He saw them and walked towards the small group. Kasi was slightly taller than Obi-Wan, his blue skin sparkled as he approached them. "Kasi this is my apprentice, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin this is Gaylenn's Padawan, Kasi D'Ectisa."  
  
"Pleased to meet you Anakin. My condolences on your loss."  
  
"Kasi. Un-wise choice of words. Anyway, there's no need to be so formal right now. These are friends."  
  
"Yes, Master. I'll be more mindful in the future."  
  
"You do that. Why don't you and Anakin talk while Obi-Wan and myself discuss Master-stuff."  
  
"Alright. Whatever, Master. Come along, Anakin. These two obviously want to be left alone." Kasi and Anakin walked to the pyre where Qui-Gon ashes lay.  
  
"I can't believe he's gone, Obi-Wan. He was such a careful man. I keep wondering if I were there would he still be alive."  
  
"Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have possibly changed the outcome. I have the same thoughts. If I had ran faster or that he had waited I could have helped. Then I think, what's done is done, we can't change that past. It's over with. Now we must carry on Qui-Gon's legacy."  
  
"I can't blame you for those thoughts, but you're right. We must go on with our lives. Even if he was a father to me. Did you know that my father abandoned my family before I came to the temple and my mother and my sister died shortly after I went to the temple? I found out about 17-years-ago that he had just recently died."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that."  
  
"Don't be. I never felt anything for him. Enough of that, so how are you and Anakin holding up?"  
  
"As well as can be expected. Anakin took a liking to Qui-Gon immediately. He never had a father to look up to."  
  
"I can relate. Qui-Gon was a fatherly figure I guess."  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Are you going to be alright?"  
  
"Yes I think so. Now let's get off of the subject of how we feel. Why don't we go join our Padawans?'  
  
"Fine by me." They walked over to where Anakin and Kasi were chatting.  
  
"...I was wondering... How come your master was so close to Qui-Gon?"  
  
"I don't know really. Gayl never told me how she and Qui-Gon met."  
  
Obi-Wan and Gayl approached them silently and sat down on the edge of the funeral pyre altar. Gayl leaned onto Obi-Wan, resting her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. Obi-Wan showed no surprise to the act. Kasi turned to regard them.  
  
"Why don't you ask her?" Kasi said just as Gayl was about to fall asleep. Obi-Wan nudged her with his shoulder.  
  
"Hmmm? What?"  
  
"Tell them about your relationship to Qui-Gon. They have a right to know." Obi-Wan stated seriously.  
  
"Alright... I wasn't going to tell you Kasi until you entered your knighthood, but Obi-Wan has presented a strong point and I think this is the right time to tell you both about it. I will start from the very beginning. I was about 4-years-old when I first met Qui-Gon. He hadn't yet taken on Xanatos as a Padawan yet... I had wandered off from the crèche master. Well I was a troublemaker back then. I would disobey orders given to me by the crèche master or anyone else for that matter, if I could find someone in need of help. I was wandering the garden when I ran, well bumped into, a tall man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a troubled soul. I've been told that I was a natural at identifying and healing troubled souls. Even if I didn't have the Force, I would have been able to do that. Well, back to the story..."  
  
* * *  
  
A small auburn-haired, green-eyed, 4-year-old Gaylenn Lyss wandered through the gardens. She walked slowly, careful not the run into the crèche master, whom she was absolutely certain, was looking for her. Gayl was beckoned by the Force to go somewhere or find someone, and she was determined to find out why and would not go back until she was satisfied.  
  
She hadn't paid attention to the tall Jedi Knight that was turning at the same time she was and ran smack dab into the man's shin. She looked up and the Force told her he was the one she was looking for. The man had shoulder length brown hair and closely cropped beard.  
  
"Well, well. Who do we have here? Why are you out of the crèche without a master, Little One?"  
  
"I Gaylenn Lyss. I came here 'cause the Force told me to find you. You need someone to talk to," she stated in her small voice. She cocked her head to the side in interest of this man in front of her.  
  
"And you think you can help? Little One, you are a dreamer. Plus you should be in bed at this hour."  
  
"No. I supposed to listen. I supposed to help. No go 'till you feel better." She demanded in her 4-year-old voice. Qui-Gon was taken aback at the force and determination behind her voice. "What name?" she asked him attempting to look at the man's face.  
  
"Qui-Gon Jinn. What makes you think you can help me?"  
  
"'Cause I good at it, Quigee. I help lots of people with problems."  
  
"Well, this problem is too big for such a small child to help with."  
  
"No it not. Talk Quigee. Talk." Qui-Gon bent down and picked up Gayl in his arms. He sat down on the bench and set her in his lap. Something about her seemed to make him want to talk about the recent death of his Padawan, Jaylen Kretn, and of the other things pressuring into his depression.  
  
"I don't know about you, Little One, but alright. My First Padawan, Jaylen Kretn, died a month ago on a mission. It's been really hard to get over his death. If that weren't enough, Master Yoda has been pressuring me into finding a new Padawan. On top of that my parents died recently in an accident." She suddenly stood and gave him a strong tight hug. She held her position until he returned the embrace to the small child. He could feel a bond between them forming in his mind. He had to admit he did feel much better after having talked to her.  
  
"My family's dead also." She settled down in his lap again and promptly fell asleep. Qui-Gon carried her back to her crèche. The crèche master was overjoyed to see her being brought back safely. She took Gaylenn from Qui-Gon and took her to her bed and tucked her in for a good night's rest.  
  
* * *  
  
"So that's why he always called you 'Little One' even though you were not very short!"  
  
"Yep. It was his nickname for me. Well to make this story a little shorter I grew up with him as my father. He actually had a sense of humor that I could understand."  
  
"You said 'he hadn't taken on Xanatos as a Padawan yet.' Who's Xanatos?"  
  
"He was Qui-Gon's second Padawan. Qui-Gon took him as his Padawan shortly after talking to me. I had met him shortly after becoming Qui-Gon's Padawan. By then I didn't call him Quigee anymore. It was a short-lived name. I then started calling him, 'papa' and he didn't mind..."  
  
* * *  
  
Qui-Gon carried a sleeping Gaylenn into the rooms he shared with his new Padawan, Xanatos, and set her down on the end of the sleep couch and put a blanket over her. He sat down next to her and gently caressed the child's short hair. "Sweet dreams, Little One," he whispered to her and got up. Xanatos entered their apartment noisily.  
  
"Quiet, Xanatos. Don't wake her."  
  
"Wake who, Master?"  
  
"Her." He pointed to Gaylenn's sleeping form.  
  
"Master, who is she? And why is she here instead of in her crèche with the rest of the children her age?"  
  
"She's here because I brought her here. I often do that during her naptime and the night. Her name is Gaylenn."  
  
"Why do you-?" Gaylenn stirred and awoke.  
  
"Papa."  
  
Qui-Gon bent down and looked at her. "Yes, Little One?"  
  
"Who's that boy over there, whose emotions are confusing?"  
  
"That's my Padawan, Xanatos. He has problems with his emotions."  
  
"He have trouble soul. Me want to help him."  
  
"Only if he wants it, sweetie." She sat up on the couch facing Xantos.  
  
"But Papa! He lost. Need someone to talk to. Someone who listen. I good at that."  
  
"Yes, Little One. You are good at it. But you have may just met your match. He is always determined not to reveal his true feelings."  
  
"Master? The child calls you 'Papa'. Why?"  
  
"Would you like to answer this one, Gayl?"  
  
"Yes. My parents dead. So he became my papa."  
  
"But why you, Master?"  
  
"We have a bond, a bond that is only shared between a child and Force-sensitive parents. Since her birth parents are dead, we formed the bond instead. So In essence, I am her father in all senses except not being her birth father."  
  
"So... She's going to spend a lot of time over here."  
  
"Yes. Whenever we're on Coruscant she will be spending some nights and eating meals with us. So you might want to get to know her."  
  
  
Stay tuned for part 2  



End file.
